#alexsandr: did i stutter?

[cunning-and-cool]

Zeb: What are you doing?

Kallus: I’m confronting the person who ruined my life.

Zeb:

Zeb:...You're yelling at a mirror.

#alexsandr: did i stutter? #alexsandr kallus #agent kallus #zeb orrelios #garazeb orrelios #star wars #star wars rebels #swr #sw rebels #kalluzeb #incorrect rebels quotes #rebels

[ahsoka-its-all-of-us]

For day 4 of the @bahrynfestival I really wanted to use the prompt It's time to let go, so I turned it into a little scene!

This is inspired by some things that I've planned to have happen in my Kalluzeb series, and I might adapt this moment to fit in there at some point 👀

Zeb knew the tentative look in Alexsandr’s eyes as he approached him, and he decided to keep standing where he was, overlooking the beautiful swamps of Rodia. Allowing his friend to come up to him at his own pace, voice his thoughts only when he was ready.

Alexsandr came to stand next to him, following his gaze.

They remained silent for a while, Zeb trying not to look at the wistful golden eyes trailing the landscape in front of them, the strong, long-fingered hand raking through the soft blond hair, the muscular chest above a too small waist.

Alexsandr was the one to break the silence, eventually. “It reminds you of Lasan, doesn’t it?” he asked, his voice timid.

Zeb sighed, knowing there was no sense in denying. The human knew him too well for that. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry” Alexsandr mumbled, turning to leave.

Zeb caught his wrist, pulling him back towards the railing. “Don’t go.”

Alexsandr looked down, pressing his lips together in a thin line. To anyone else it might look cold and disapproving, but Zeb knew better. That was one of his masking expressions, the way he would look when he desperately tried not to show how much he yearned to give in.

Zeb sighed. “It’s been years” he mumbled. “I’ve been away from Lasan almost as long as I’ve lived there. I should be over it. It’s time to let go.”

Alexsandr turned to look him in the eye, and now the uncertainty in his face was gone, a steely determination taking its place. “It’s not. It never needs to be” he said, his voice hard. “You lost everything, Zeb.”

Because of me. He didn’t say it, but Zeb heard it in his words just the same.

“You don’t have to get over Lasan” Alexsandr went on, almost heatedly. “It was your home, a part of you, the place you would have lived out your life if – if it hadn’t been taken from you.”

Once again the word I lingered on his tongue, but he didn’t utter it. Zeb had told him countless times not to, and at least on this he listened. Sometimes.

“Still” he said. “I’ve found a new family, a new life, a new purpose. I can’t keep dwelling on it, I should get over it.”

Alexsandr let out a long, deep breath, almost literally deflating next to Zeb, all resistance bleeding out of him. “I haven’t gotten over it” he said softly.

“No” Zeb replied. “But it’s time for you to let go as well.”

Alexsandr pursed his lips again.

“Aleks…” Zeb said softly.

His friend abruptly pushed away from the railing. “I have something to show you.”

“Oh?” Zeb said, intrigued.

Alexsandr starting walking back inside the apartment, gesturing for Zeb to join him. “When I was back there” he started, and Zeb didn’t need to ask for clarification, realising he was talking about his time undercover with the Empire on this very planet, “I managed to build a network of fellow defectors, spies, informants.”

Zeb nodded. This wasn’t news to him. Even if Alexsandr hadn’t already told him upon his return, he would have known his friend well enough to guess. He was always thorough like that.

“A few days ago, one of them contacted me.” Alexsandr had come to a halt in front of the holo console. His face was apprehensive again as he reached into his jacket to withdraw a datastick. “They gave me this.”

His expression was cautious, waiting for Zeb to react, to give him whatever permission he needed to go on.

“What’s that?” Zeb asked, hoping to encourage him.

Alexsandr’s fingers subtly tightened around the stick, knuckles turning white as he looked away. “Pictures and holos of Lasan.”

Zeb’s jaw dropped, all the thoughts in his mind coming to an abrupt halt.

Lasan?!?

“How… how…” he stuttered. “How did you manage that?”

Alexsandr grimaced. “I told my informants to contact me about anything regarding Lasan or Lasats they would find.”

Zeb stared at him, speechless. Alexsandr had risked his life, going back to the Empire for as long as he had this time. Save for the occasional Fulcrum transmission he had stayed completely out of contact, knowing that in a position that high any slight hint at his real identity could cost him. And he had thrown all that caution away on the off chance of finding Zeb a reminder of his home world.

And here he’d thought he couldn’t love the man any more than he already did.

“Can I… can I see?” he asked, his voice trembling dangerously.

“Obviously” Alexsandr said, in that steely tone of his he got when not even his trained ISB neutrality was enough to hide the emotion lingering in his voice. “Though some of it is Imperial recordings from the Purge. I would…” He took a deep breath, visibly fighting to keep himself together. “I’d understand if you wouldn’t want to see that. It’s just… this one picture I thought you might appreciate seeing.”

He turned on the console, inserting the stick and scrolling through its files. Zeb saw the one he was looking for before he selected it, and his blood froze in his veins.

F. Ardyli & G. Orrelios, it said, followed by a date somewhere around the time the Empire took over.

Alexsandr hesitated, his finger hovering over the switch. “I’m not –”

“Show me” Zeb said tonelessly. He couldn’t recall who F. Ardyli might have been, but he needed to know it now.

Alexsandr flipped the switch, and the picture appeared.

Zeb stopped breathing.

He only very vaguely recognised F. Ardyli, but he didn’t care to look further into them. His eyes were drawn to the Lasat they were with. G. Orrelios.

It wasn’t him.

“Zan” he breathed.

“Is that your sister?” Alexsandr asked tentatively.

Zeb nodded, unable to talk. Alexsandr seemed to understand, patiently waiting until he found his voice again. “I’d… I’d almost forgotten what she looked like.”

“She’s beautiful” Alexsandr muttered, and the genuineness in his voice caused Zeb’s heart to burst open. Despite the Imperial xenophobia he spent most of his life around, Alexsandr was still able to see the beauty in another species.

“She was” he mumbled, reaching out in a desperate attempt to touch the hologram, and before he knew it his face was wet with tears.

Alexsandr was right. He could never fully get over Lasan. It would remain a part of him forever.

“Zeb –”

Alexsandr made an aborted move, like he wanted to put his arms around Zeb but thought the better of it. But Zeb immediately moved towards him, and after an awkward second Alexsandr carefully embraced him.

“I don’t think you have to worry about forgetting what she looks like” Alexsandr said softly, in a voice that was equal parts soothing and anxious. “You see her spitting image every time you look at your reflection.”

A howl escaped Zeb’s throat and he buried his face in the curve of Alexsandr’s shoulder. His friend just held him, a little stiffly and awkwardly, but clearly trying so hard. Like he clearly fought to keep the memory of Lasan alive, to ensure that the culture he had helped destroy wouldn’t be lost forever, that Zeb would never forget about the people who had meant the world to him.

“She would have loved you” he sniffled wetly into Alexsandr’s shoulder.

“I highly doubt that” Alexsandr replied, his voice hard again.

Zeb pulled back a bit to look him in the eye. “She would have” he said firmly. “We were very alike, we usually agreed on people.”

She would have loved you because I love you.

A powerful longing struck him all of a sudden, an overwhelming desire to do what Zan had done countless times: bring his newest flame back home to meet the family. How he wished he could introduce Alexsandr to his family, his friends, his home…

When the war is over, he vowed quietly, I’ll show you Lira San.

#jenny writes oh no #jenny's sneaks #star wars #alexsandr kallus #garazeb orrelios #kalluzeb #star wars rebels #bahryn festival #bahryn festival 2023

[heart-of-a-rebel16]

For the angst/fluff prompts: kalluzeb, 45

45: “I can’t imagine this world without you.”

Pairing: Zeb/ Kallus, Star Wars: Rebels

requests: open

Part 1, Part 2

—x—

Zeb raced down the hallways, Ezra not far behind. He had torn open almost every damn door on this Ashla-forsaken base, and they still had yet to find Kallus. Zeb’s mind spun with worry. What was Thrawn doing to him? Cutting him, beating him, electrocuting him? He knew well that Kallus could physically stand most things that came his way, but the mind and body were two very different ballparks.

His mind was pulled back to Atollon, or what was left of it. Kallus had seemed so small and broken standing in the hallway of the Ghost. It had taken almost an hour for the reality of their situation to break through his shock. Zeb had been there to hold him, to guide him though his grief and pain. Now, he didn’t even know where the man was.

“The troopers are right behind us!” Ezra yelled. His saber was a blur of green as his arms pumped up and down. “Are you sure this is the one?”

“If it’s not, they’ve taken him off base,” Zeb called back. The hollow jostling of armor and guns clattered down the hallway. If they didn’t hurry up, they’d be dead meat. “Can you handle the bucket-heads?”

Ezra skidded to a stop and pivoted in his heel, lowering himself into a fighting position. “Don’t even have to ask,” he replied with a cheeky grin.

Alrighty then. Ezra was more than capable of handling himself. While the young Jedi held his position at the mouth of the hallway, Zeb began prying open blast doors. It was tedious work; pulling opened reinforced durasteel was no joke. Pain twinged at his fingers and wrists, not even to speak of the dull ache in his arms.

Why in the world had Kallus thought it was a good idea to push him away? What kind of self-sacrificial idiot would even think of doing that?

There were only three more doors in the hallway. Three more chances. Zeb pried open the first one. Nothing but empty space.

With an angry growl he let the doors slam shut. Two more opportunities. Metal screamed under his grip as he pried the seal open. He thrust his head into the room, finding a simple storage room.

One more chance. One more room. Thankfully, it wasn’t much of a chance at all. As Zeb let the second pair of doors crash shut, the third opened for a pair of death troopers to exit.

The troopers never knew what hit them. With a frightful roar Zeb charged, taking one by the arm and using them as a battering ram to send the other flying. The two troopers both hit the wall one after the other, sliding down and collapsing into a tangled heap on the ground. It brought Zeb a small amount of joy.

There was no time to gloat over bucket-heads. The third set of doors screeched open into darkness. Zeb’s heart stuttered, if only for an instant.

The light clicked on a few moments later. An involuntary gasp escaped Zeb. Kallus knelt on the floor, arms bound above his head and secured to an exposed pipe, head bowed. The slow drip, drip, drip of blood filled Zeb’s ears. And ever widening pool of the red stuff leaked from his bare arms in crimson streaks.

Zeb snapped out of his stupor. He rushed to Kallus, sliding on his knees to assess the situation. He had no key, but he did have a bo-rifle. Taking careful aim, he shot one bolt at the connecting section; the bonds fell away in a heap of scorched metal. Kallus pitched forward; Zeb gently caught him in his arms and pulled him tight to his chest. For a brief but terrifying second, Zeb though that the death troopers had killed Kallus; he lay motionless in his arms, eyes peacefully shut.

“Kal,” Zeb said, trying to rouse the man out of unconsciousness. “Kal. Kallus. Alexsandr. You gotta wake up.”

“He’s told you his name,” a new voice, a cold, lilting voice, echoed. Zeb whipped around to the entrance of the odd room.

“Thrawn,” Zeb breathed, trying to keep the growl from his voice. The Chiss man nodded slightly in acknowledgement of his name. His frame blocked the door, backlit by the harsh light of the hallway.

In his arms, Kallus stirred.

“I must admit, I’m afraid I’ve underestimated the relationship that Agent Kallus has built with you,” Thrawn smiled. “I believe it’s gone far beyond simple camaraderie. You’ve taken him as one of your own.”

Family, Zeb’s mind supplied. Kallus was part of his family. Instinctively, his arms tightened around Kallus’ prone form, a gesture the Grand Admiral surely noticed.

“Perhaps father than that, even,” Thrawn murmured, almost to himself.

Ezra. They needed Ezra. Mentally, Zeb screamed the little Jedi’s name over and over again, hoping the kid would feel something, anything in the Force.

“What did you do to him?” Zeb said in a low voice, shifting his body to put himself between Thrawn and Kallus. The ex-imperial was fully awake now, or what could be considered fully awake in his state. He stared up at Zeb, eyes wide and unbelieving.

“I assure you, I incurred minimal damage to your traitor friend, Garazeb Orrelios,” Thrawn replied. A pit formed in Zeb’s stomach. He barely had the time for the horrified thought of Thrawn knowing his name before the Grand Admiral withdrew a blaster.

“You seem shocked that I would know your name, Garazeb.” He motioned the blaster at his head. “Your ears, like all Lasats, are quite expressive. I’ve done extensive research on you, as well as your entire crew. I must say, you fascinate me the most.”

“Why’s that?” Zeb asked, cursing his stupid ears. He set his face into a heated glare, though the only thought running through his head was that of Ezra’s name.

“Out of all the other members of your crew, the Empire has stripped the most from you. They’ve taken your people, and your planet, and your culture, and ground them into ash.” Thrawn’s blaster dipped to Kallus. “The man you hold in your arms aided the destruction of all you hold dear. Yet you still care for him as one of your own. Clearly, that takes a foolishness unbecoming of someone of your training.”

Zeb caught a blur of something blue and green behind Thrawn’s shoulder. Locking the smile away for a moment, he stared up defiantly at the Chiss man.

“I’d wager to say you don’t know the meaning of foolishness, your Grand Admiral-ness,” he said. Finally, he allowed the grin to split his face. “I love him. Fact of the matter is, I can’t imagine a world without ‘im. And I swear on the Ashla, I will never let you hurt him again.”

Ezra had heard his call after all. Zeb couldn’t see much over Thrawn’s tall frame, but he had a front row seat to the look of utter shock on his face as Ezra yanked him backwards and to the sides with the Force, his head cracking against the metal walls.

They didn’t have any time to waste. Zeb sprang to his feet and ran, Ezra leading the way.

“Kid, what took you so long?” Zeb asked, drawing his grip tighter against Kallus.

“It would have taken shorter to take all those stormtroopers if you hadn’t been screaming in my head and distracting me,” Ezra shot back. “Come on, I found a shortcut. Hera’s waiting for a pickup.”

The odd pair raced down the halls at breakneck speeds. Alarms began to blare all around them, grating painfully in Zeb’s ears. Time was running out.

Ezra turned down hallways like he lived in the place, lightsaber swinging haphazardly all the while. “We’re almost there!” He called back, plunging his saber into a closed door, drawing a makeshift entrance.

“We’re almost there, Kal,” Zeb whispered. “Hang on just a little longer. I promise, it’ll all be okay.”

Kallus’ eyes were screwed shut again. Probably passed out from the pain. Who knew what the death troopers had done to him?

The cutout clanged to the ground. The Spectres continued their mad dash to the Ghost. Zeb had never been so happy to see the ship in his life as they broke into the landing strip. Sabine was at the entrance of the lowered ramp, motioning and yelling something incomprehensible. With a flying leap, Ezra jumped into the Ghost, Zeb not far behind. The ramp barely had time to close before Hera turned the ship around and shot out of the base, up into the twilight sky.

Zeb allowed himself a sigh of relief. Safe. They were safe. Gently, he laid Kallus’ unconscious form on his bed. He could see more scrapes and bruises, but what caught his eye were the strange, thin cuts that littered the side of Kallus’ bruised face.

There would be a time for questions later. For now, Zeb curled up next to the bed and listened to the rumble of the Ghost as they shot into hyperspace on the path to Yavin IV.

#Hhhng this got really long #I just need one more part and we’re all done! #star wars rebels #swr #sw rebels #agent kallus #alexsandr kallus #zeb orrelios #garazeb orrelios #kalluzeb

[ms-erin-kallus]

Left Me Begging to the Birds for a Bone or an Offering

Chapter 9

AO3 link ~ https://archiveofourown.org/works/44541196/chapters/123186934

word count ~ 3920

18+ only!

 ~ months later ~

She was a brunette with pretty, blue eyes and far more popular than he was. It was why he didn’t understand the first time she asked him to help her study. He legitimately thought it was a prank, and was so apprehensive beforehand that he almost didn’t meet her in the library like he had agreed to do the day before.

The two of them had attended the same pretentious preparatory academy for two years, and for most of those two years the most Alexsandr could do was give a shy smile if she looked his way. She was friends with pretty much everyone she met, he was not.

She was everything he wanted to be but nothing that he felt he deserved.

Even the school’s notoriously stiff faculty would always openly beam at her pleasant disposition and consistently high marks with a kind of praise they showed no one else.

Yet, he held the highest of scores and no one gave a single damn.

That was why he thought it was a trick. He just knew that some of their notoriously cruel classmates were lurking in the shadows as they waited for him to humiliate himself for all to see.

It was common knowledge that she would openly and gladly admonish anyone that she caught as a bully, but still, his doubt remained.

It wasn’t a ploy; in fact, she had shown up early and was waiting for him when he got there with a sweet smile and warm greeting.

“You’re late,” she joked.

Kallus was actually early so that he could do a quick sweep of the entire floor before he made his way to their study room. Much to his surprise, only a handful of people occupied seats throughout the large, open floor.

“Sorry,” he stuttered as his nervousness flushed hot and fast across his face. As a feeble attempt at a deterrent, he clumsily dropped his bag to the floor so that he could quickly duck and pretend to pick it up so that she couldn’t see the embarrassment he felt. It had been more than obvious, and so he stayed hidden under the table for as long as he could before his absence became more awkward than his actions.

“So,” she started from above him, “it appears that I’m having a hard time with this pesky math.”

“Oh,” he said before he looked over to see her face leaned down under the table with a giant, knowing grin framed by dark hair that fell messily around her face. In that instant he realized just how pretty she really was. Flawless was an understatement when she was seen roaming the halls of the school and dormitories, but out of her element, as a real person, she was so much more than mere ‘perfection’.

“I happen to really like math, so hopefully I can be of some assistance,” he said as he sat up and put his textbook and calculator in front of him with a long, quiet breath that was meant to relax him.

It did not. 

What he had told her was true, he really did like mathematics; so much so, that he actually wanted to be an engineer.

”You’ve got my name. You’ll go into the military like me and my father and his,” was the end of that dream.

“I don’t know, it’s pretty rough over here,” she said seriously as she pulled out her own notes and book. “I’m more of a computer hardware nerd but apparently there’s math in that too,” she scoffed to herself. “Never needed it before though,” he heard her say under her breath. 

Kallus barely heard her as he looked in almost terror at the chaos that was her ‘notes’.

“What the hell!” she exclaimed and pulled him from his fright as she reached over and grabbed his notebook from his hands. 

Her soft touch excited every one of his nerves instantly and lingered delicately on his skin long after.  

“Wow,” she slapped the book down in front of her. “Are these notes or blueprints to a high security military facility?” she joked as her fingers grazed over the color coded and perfectly organized information.

For a brief moment he imagined her fingers grazing lightly over him but quickly he shook the thought from his mind before he said something stupid, “organization is a key to control. If I know where everything is, then I don’t have to waste ti-“

“Can I just start copying these?” she cut him off as she slid it back over to him and pulled her own back in front of her as she sighed heavily in preconceived defeat.

“It’ll cost you,” he joked bravely.

She looked right at him, mischief in her green eyes, “name your price.”

There was no hiding the redness that he felt envelope his entire body as he hesitated to answer, but nothing reasonable came to his mind quickly enough, “to be determined.”

“A man of mystery. I like that,” she smirked as she picked up her chair and walked over next to him and sat it down at his side, closely. “Teach me, smart guy,” she playfully commanded as she pulled the hair that kept falling into her eyes into a loose braid and nonchalantly tossed it behind her.

And so the two carefully went over the basics of things so that he could figure out where she was actually struggling. He would write out an equation for her and watch diligently as she fumbled her way through, careful to point out her mistakes without embarrassing her. 

A very fast hour later they had worked through a portion of what she was struggling with when her stomach growled loudly.

“Sorry about that,” she laughed quietly before Kallus reached down into his bag to grab her one of the small snacks he usually carried with him, but came up empty. 

Crap, he thought as he remembered that he needed to replenish his supply after his last workout but forgot to. “I thought I had something in here but it looks like I do not. I can run down to the first floor and grab us something,” he said, being sure to say us rather than you so that she wouldn’t have as much to fight him with.

It didn’t work. 

“No you won’t,” she told him as she stood. “A snack is the least I can do for all of this,” she joked as she gestured her hand at the scattered mess that they had made. “I’ll be right back.” 

“Really,” he started before she glared down playfully at him. “I really don’t mind. It will give you time to look over things.”

There was no room for argument, and as she quickly reached down and grabbed a small wallet, he didn’t put up a fight, “I’ll be right back,” she told him before she turned and he watched her disappear around a corner.

A stupid smile crossed his face and he couldn’t help but let his mind wander into a place it never had before. She was kind, and pretty, and genuine and he wanted to spend every second with her more than anything else in the galaxy.

Sweet scenarios were still running through his mind when Kallus noticed that she had been gone for longer than he realized. Another ten minutes passed and he couldn’t wait for her any longer. Something was off, he could feel it, and he knew he needed to go look for her.

Maybe she ran into a friend? She does have a lot of them, he thought as he waited for the lift. She left all of her things. 

What felt like an eternity later the lift finally opened to the first level and his heart stopped instantly. 

A small group of people talked animatedly to two security guards by the large entrance into the building and somehow he knew it was about her.

His feet struggled to walk and could barely find his voice when he finally reached them to ask, “what is going on?”

“Have you seen a woman fitting this description?” one of the guards asked as they showed Kallus a school holopic of the girl he was also looking for.

“Yes,” he breathed out. “She was upstairs with me studying. She came,” he paused. “I let her come down here alone,” he stuttered. “I shouldn’t have let her come down,” he said quietly to himself. I should’ve had something for her.

Everyone in the group went quiet and focused their attention solely on him.

“When was this? You said she was alone?” 

“What is happening?” Kallus snapped. “She was with me fifteen minutes ago and now you’re trying to tell me she’s what? Missing or something?”

One of the guards looked at the other, “we got a report that a woman screamed and another student looked over to see two large people dragging whom we assume was her away. We need to know everything that has happened between you two tonight.”

The sound of screaming jerked Kallus’ head to his side. Just outside of the large floor to ceiling glass windows he saw her. She was running full speed,

with two large men close behind.

“There she is!” Kallus yelled as he grabbed one of the security guards by the shoulder and spun him around to see. “Look!”

“Hey, kid! Don’t touch me!” the man warned darkly as he glared back at him. “You’re already in enough hot water as is.”

“Can you not hear her? She’s right there!” Kallus pointed out of the window as he began to run to her, but terror shot through him when his feet would only skip a few short steps before they quickly cemented themselves back to the ground. He tried again in vain as the group of people stood around completely unaware of what was happening just outside.

“Alexsandr!” she screamed and he tried again to run to her but again, his feet wouldn’t take him to her. “It will be okay!”

“Why aren’t you doing something?” Kallus yelled as he watched one of the men catch and grab her.

“No! Someone do something!” Again he couldn’t move and again he heard her scream his name.

This isn’t real.

The girl continued to kick and punch at her assailant as she screamed over and over to a disinterested audience. 

“You deserved to be loved!”

In the blink of an eye, the second man caught up to them and Kallus watched him pull out a blaster and laugh before he pointed it straight at her body, incapacitated on the ground when the man holding her threw her down.

Wake up.

“Captain,” he heard voices cry out all through his mind.

Wake. Up.

A small hand reached above her in vain to stop what they both knew was coming. 

“No!” he heard himself scream through the cloud that surrounded him before his field of vision turned bright red and his mind finally released him from his agonizing torture.

Sleep paralysis.

Beads of sweat and tears left streaks of terrified remorse down his face as Kallus shot up so hard and fast he almost threw himself out of his bed. “Fuck,” he mumbled before he used his shirt to wipe the salt away from his tired eyes. The cold sting of adrenaline lingered in his veins that pumped so hard he thought they might explode as he rubbed uselessly at his temples and sighed.

He hadn’t thought about the girl in years. 

Scenarios of her disappearance created by the unknown danced through his mind like demons around a flame over and over, year after year.

It was more than he could handle.

It was how Alexsandr Kallus learned to compartmentalize trauma at far too young an age.

~ present day ~

Alexsandr Kallus sat at a hotel bar on Coruscant loathing his existence. He hated everything from the Empire, to the stupid ceremony that he had been dragged halfway across the galaxy for, to himself. But he especially hated what he knew what he was about to do.

He thought that surveilling the Rebel cause would help fill the gaping void left within him months prior, but it was merely a small patch on a large wound. It gave him something to concentrate on, and for that he was grateful, but it wasn’t a constant.

Thoughts still managed to creep deep into his mind, especially at night. 

Self medicating habits almost instantly became a regular occurrence; none of which were in the least beneficial for longer than he needed. Not a single one was remotely healthy.

Respectable was always an afterthought.

A small whirlpool formed as he swirled around yet another drink. He had easily lost count of them as he stared blankly at the ice circle and clink against the hard glass. If he had to be there, which he did not, then he at least was going to dull his senses enough to make it tolerable.

It wasn’t working.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw that she was still there; a pretty redhead with alabaster skin and piercing blue eyes. She had been staring at him for about half an hour and he finally had enough alcohol in him to manage to look back.

The woman slid off of her barstool and glided over to him. Her hips swayed effortlessly and caused the skirt of her long, revealing dress to dance from side to side like some sort of seductively irresistible mating call. He knew exactly what she was doing.

It was working.

Hello there,” she said in a low voice as she sat down next to him. “You’re far too handsome to look so sad.”

He almost laughed in her face.

“Well,” he started as he downed the last of his drink, “it’s been a sad few months.”

She tilted her head to the side and purposefully elongated her neck which caused a stir deep in his belly, “I’m sorry to hear that.”

I’m sorry to be living it.

“Wanna go forget about it?”

“Yes,” he said simply as he threw a handful of credits onto the bar top with disregard to whether the total was correct or not as he stood. A wave of dizziness hit him like a speeder and he had to blink hard a few times before he regained his composure enough to lead the woman into the hallway and to the elevator bay.

She pushed the button to go up before she turned around and pushed herself up against the wall. Her hand reached out with intent and grabbed him by the waistband before she pulled him into her and slowly ran her hands up his chest to thread her fingertips into his facial hair. His eyes closed as his stomach turned, but he didn’t pull away. He never did anymore.

It was better than the alternative. At least that’s what he always told himself. 

The door to one of the lifts opened and she rolled around him and pushed him in. “What floor?”

“Twenty,” he mumbled as she pressed the button and turned back to face him.

“You didn’t hit me as the shy type,” she said quietly as she gently palmed his crotch.

He took a sharp breath in and fell back into the wall, “don’t have much to say.”

“Good,” she whispered as she began to roll her fingers in a miserably pleasurable massage; her other hand crept up around his neck before she pulled him down to kiss her but, to his relief, the doors opened before she could. “Lead the way,” she ordered as the corner of her mouth drew up and she pulled him out by his hand. 

Kallus quickly guided her to his room in an awkward silence that was broken only by the sound of the beep from his keycard that opened his door.

“Fancy,” she said simply as she walked in and over to look out of the window.

“Yeah,” was all he said as he closed the door and took off his boots.

The light from outside of the window illuminated her silhouette beautifully when she turned around to face him. He found her stunning, far more attractive than Rhoan but somehow less attracting. 

Kallus could easily take the woman home, but he wouldn’t keep her there.

“So shy,” she giggled before she pushed the strings of her dress from her shoulders. It fell gracefully to the ground around her as she pulled her chin down to look at him seductively before she stepped out of the fabric at her feet. “I hope that changes.”

Doubtful, he thought as he released the seal of his tunic and let it fall gracefully from his shoulders to the floor.

A low hum escaped her throat as she slowly looked up and down his chest and, for some reason he couldn’t explain to himself he felt a twinge of pain shoot through him. 

You brought her up here for this reason, he scolded himself before he wrapped his hands underneath her and pulled her up to his waist. Her legs instinctively wrapped around him as he walked over to the bed and sat her down.

The woman scooted toward him to sit on the edge of the bed and began to reach for the buckle of his pants before he swatted her away. A look of confusion crossed her face but quickly turned to a small, fiendish smile when he stepped out and kicked them to the side.

Even in the darkened light he could see the woman tilt her head in morbid curiosity as she stared at the scars that wrapped around his abdomen and his breath caught at the idea of her fingers on his skin.

The ideation turned to a sickening reality when she reached toward him, and without realizing it, he grabbed her wrist hard and growled down at her, “don’t.”

A look of panic filled her eyes when he didn’t immediately let go.

It took a few seconds for Kallus’ wits came back about him; he hadn’t realized that he held onto her for as long as he had and he quickly let go. “Sorry,” he mumbled, “just…don’t”

The anxiety in her demeanor didn’t change as quickly as he liked, and for a brief moment he swore that she was going to get up and walk out.

She didn’t.

Instead, she took the not so subtle hint as she grabbed his arm instead and jerked him toward her.

Just as he macabrely craved, she pushed his semi erect penis through the tight circle she made with her thumb and forefinger. A deep moan instantly escaped his throat and he dug his fingers deep into his hips as she moved her hand back and forth along the length of him.

The slow assault continued, eventually graduating to her using her whole hand as she twisted her wrist back and forth together with increasingly harder strokes, but he barely responded. The next system over heard her loud blatant sigh as she moved down to the floor. An unstoppable embarrassment quickly shot a strong heat across his face.

“Sorry, I guess I had more to drink than I could handle,” he lied.

“It’s alright,” she also lied as she looked up at him before she leaned forward and took him into her mouth.

“Fuck,” he breathed out heavily as his head fell back and he stared at the ceiling. Fuck.

The woman moved slowly, letting her tongue drag along the artery underneath before she made small circles around the head. He responded to that and she continued, increasing in speed incrementally.

Soft tresses threaded into his fingers as he put his hand behind her head and looked down on her with intent.

The sight of her dark hair that fell swept around her shoulders, drew a charmed smile across his face as his fingers gently moved a lock behind her ear instead.

The woman brought her hands up and around his waist and grabbed onto each globe of his ass as she pushed him deep into her throat with force a few times before pulling back and looking up at him.

Kallus let out an exaggerated breath and blinked hard a few times before he looked down into her pretty eyes. A smirk played at his lips before he bent down and picked her up to toss her onto the bed. Her playful laugh echoed through the room when she made impact, and as she slowly backed to the middle of the bed he crawled with and overtook her.

There was a twitch right where he liked it when she bit her bottom lip, and he suddenly pushed her legs further apart and slid between them before he buried his face into her neck. A line of sweet kisses slowly, led to her ear when suddenly he felt her tense up.

Kallus looked at her and she furrowed her brow ever so slightly before she rolled him over and straddled him. Without breaking eye contact, she ran a finger down his chest to his pelvis and moved him right to where she wanted him. Suddenly and without warning, she trust down on him hard and fast and he let out a loud cry as he dug his fingers into her thighs.

“Now that I have your attention,” she said snidely before she put her hands on his chest and began to roll her hips up and down.

He looked up at her with sincere confusion, but only briefly before his eyes closed and his breathing deepened. She was not gentle and he didn’t care. It kept his mind from wandering and it was deeply welcomed relief. Complete concentration went into how good she felt, so much so that he was only snapped back to reality when she began to cry out his name.

“Alex,” she repeated over and over as she moved back and forth on him, her head had fallen back and her hands were tangled in her hair. “Gods, Alex, I’m gon-“ she didn’t finish as her body launched forward into multiple spasms and loud cries that indicated she had reached absolute bliss.

It took her a long few minutes to regain her composure before he shot up and spun her underneath him. Hazel green eyes looked into him as he entered her again, his mouth fell open over hers as he slowly did. Unlike the woman, he was gentle and rhythmic and attentive. His thumb brushed along her jawline before his fingers wove into her hair yet again as he pulled her face to his.

Her eyes fell closed as he felt her tighten around him once more, and as he whispered her name sweetly into her ear he felt himself clench and the build up finally release. He groaned loudly and thrust into her once more before he fell clumsily onto his side.

Alexsandr reached over to pull her into his chest, but she slapped him away from her as she rolled over and walked to the window where her clothes were.

“Is something wrong,” he asked as he pushed himself up onto his elbow.

“Seriously,” she snapped back as she pulled her dress over her head and smoothed out her hair. She glared at him until she realized that he was completely clueless. “Whoever you are, you’re not the only one with shit they’re trying to forget,” she hissed at him.

“Also, my name isn’t Rhoan.”

#alexsandr kallus #kallus #agent kallus #hot kallus #rebel kallus #star wars #star wars rebels #poor Kallus he just needs a hug #trauma #it builds character #rebels fanfiction

[anathtsurugi]

A Rose Upon a Thorn - A Kalluzeb story (Chapter 4)

So I think perhaps 5 people read this messed up fairy tale, but no matter. This is for you guys.

Words: 40,195

Chapters: 4/7

Rating: E

Relationship(s): Garazeb Orrelios/Alexsandr Kallus (Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla, Chirrut Imwe/Baze Malbus, Rex/Ahsoka Tano, Past Eli Vanto/Mitth’raw’nuruodo)

Summary:

"Wait! Take me instead."

"You? You do not know what it is you offer me, human. It is more than merely taking the boy's place. You are not enough. You will have to become what I require. You will give all that you are, lose everything that you love. That is what it means to offer yourself in his stead."

"But...if I did...you would let him go free?"

"Yes."

-

Seven years ago, Alexsandr Kallus vanished without a trace. When he returns as something distinctly less human, the half-Fey prince, Garazeb Orrelios, will have to discover exactly what it is that's become of his long lost lover. Failure may well mean the end of both the human and the faerie realms.

Excerpt:

The green knight found his path blocked by a massive wolf. If the creature's sheer size wasn't enough to indicate its unearthly nature, its glowing red eyes certainly would have been. And recalling Zeb's earlier descriptions of a tawny wolf, Kanan held Ezra a little tighter against his chest as he whispered, "Alex?"

Kanan couldn't have described it if asked, but he knew the wolf was glaring at him. He didn't know how, but he soon heard a human voice issuing from the animal's dripping maw.

"Alexsandr Kallus is dead. I am only a Shadow of what was," the wolf snarled, its voice barely rising above the animal growl of the outward form. "Now give me the child, Kanan Jarrus."

"No," Kanan hissed back before flinging out a hand, sending out a ring of blinding white light around himself and Ezra. The wolf howled in pain as the light lashed across its eyes, but it was only blinded temporarily. By the time Kanan was halfway down the last corridor he'd passed, the beast was in pursuit again, and the green knight knew he couldn't outrun him. Whatever Alexsandr Kallus was or was not, he was more than human. Kanan was not going to stay ahead of him for long.

So, ducking into one of the bedchambers, he quickly bolted the door behind them and carried Ezra into the room. Almost immediately, the door began to rattle behind them, shaking beneath the force of the wolf's massive bulk ramming against it.

Hurrying to the window, Kanan pushed the curtains and shutters aside, looking down to see a not too distant drop to the ground below.

"Come on," Kanan encouraged as he helped the six-year-old to clamber onto the ledge. "You can make it down, can't you?"

"I...I think so," the little boy stuttered out, clearly terrified. He hadn't quite managed to make himself release his grip on Kanan's shoulder yet. "But- where do I go when I'm down?"

"Ezra, you just run. As fast and as far as you can. I'll be right behind y-"

Before the green knight could finish speaking, the weakening door burst inward as the stone frame that contained it shattered. Then the wolf was right there, throwing its head back and baying loud and long. At the creature's call, everything in the room that wasn't stone or flesh burst into flames. Even the curtains and shutters quickly caught, sending both half-Fey stumbling back from the window with shouts of pain, skin already lashed with several hideous burns from the insidious faerie fire. Where the window and the door had been, there were soon curtains of pure flame, leaving them trapped in the room with the wolf.

"Give me the child," the beast said again, softer this time, almost pleading.

"Never," Kanan snarled in response, on his knees before the creature, keeping Ezra carefully behind him. Then, in a pleading tone of his own, he attempted to reason, "Alex...please...don't do this. He's only a kid. It's me. It's Kanan. I'm your friend. Your brother!"

"Yes...to him, you were all those things. And it is in memory of that bond that I am willing to spare you now...if you will only give me the child," the wolf insisted, offering up what could only be described as a pained sigh before shivering back into a human form, standing before Kanan all in black. His eyes still glowed red, but they shone with tears. They were still Alex's eyes...still the man that he knew. "Please, Kanan...don't make me do this."

"I'm not making you do anything," the green knight insisted, hands spread wide in a gesture of truce. "I'm not letting you hurt Ezra. You're the one who's got a choice here."

Kallus closed his eyes for a moment, swallowing painfully before looking back down at them with that same ominous red gaze. Shaking his head, he told them, "No. I have no choice. Either I obey my king's will or my bargain is forfeit."

"What bargain?" Kanan pressed, still keeping the boy behind him.

Kallus sighed, the weight of centuries visible in his eyes. "Seven years ago...I made a bargain with Thrawn to save Garazeb from a terrible fate. I am bound to obey him without question, to serve as his Shadow and as Rose Knight. Whether I agree with him or not, whether I condone his actions or not, I must obey. If I do not...everything I have done...everything I have sacrificed...will be meaningless. Zeb's soul will be given instead of mine. I won't let that happen. I won't let the last seven years be for nothing!" he seethed in a moment of righteous fury as he drew his sword, something in his eyes going briefly unhinged as he looked down at them, the tears finally beginning to flow. "Kanan...if it was Hera...if the two of you stood where Zeb and I stand now, you would do it. Without question, without hesitation...without mercy."

Kanan felt something in his heart breaking as he looked up at his friend, a man who had been like a brother to him. It pained him to see Alex suffering like this, but neither could he just stand aside.

"I want to say you're wrong. I want to say I would never do something like this...but I can't know that," he conceded with a horrible twisting in his heart. "I can't know what I would do if I were in your place. I can only know what I'm going to do right now. And I am not going to let you hurt Ezra."

Chapter 4: Fourth Night

#Kalluzeb #SWR #Star Wars #fairy tale au #Tam Lin

[sailorsol]

So yeah, Rebels has eaten my brain. I swear, I am not writing this entire alternate universe. This is all that needed to be written. I am done with it now, and I’m going back to working on the Clone Wars Obi-Wan fic that was eating my brain last week.

Learn from Yesterday, Hope for Tomorrow, Rated T

Alexsandr Kallus had not been an agent of the Imperial Security Bureau in over thirty years. The Empire itself had not, in fact, existed, for more than twenty of those years. Finding himself on the hard metal flooring of an Imperial star destroyer in the crisp black uniform he had worn for ten years was therefore rather disorienting. He must have had a concussion, because he couldn't quite remember how he had gotten here or why he was wearing such a ridiculously outdated uniform.

Fortunately for him, his disorientation went unnoticed amid the blaring sirens and rush of stormtroopers reacting to the burning remains of a transport shuttle not that far away. There was something familiar about all of this. It made him feel almost entirely certain that the shuttle had exploded, and that he knew exactly who had caused it. Years of practice were the only things that kept him from smirking in fond amusement; it never did well to encourage Sabine too much.

"Whoa," a young voice next to him said, and Alex turned to see a boy with dark hair and wide blue eyes staring at the explosion.

His brain stuttered. For several long seconds, he could only stare at this impossible child. Alex had a near-eidetic memory; it was part of what had first made him such a good ISB agent, and then such a successful spy and rebel. He knew this boy, with his frayed flight suit and blue-black hair that fell across a too-thin face, cheekbones sharply prominent and scar-free.

Karabast.

A dream, then. That was the only explanation for how Ezra Bridger could be sitting next to him, far younger than Alex remembered how he looked the last time he had seen the boy, all those years ago on Lothal as he prepared to turn himself over to Thrawn in a brilliant but ultimately fatal move that not even the renowned strategist had seen coming.

An incredibly realistic dream, apparently, as the smoke from the burning shuttle stung at his eyes and the taste of burning plastic filled his mouth.

"Come on, you," a stormtrooper said, hauling Ezra up onto his feet. First instinct was to pull a blaster on the trooper, but the part of Alex that had survived for almost a year as Fulcrum stopped him. He didn't know what was going on, and on the slim chance this was something other than a dream, he needed to play this smart.

Ezra was dragged off, while another trooper helped Alex to his feet. He needed time to think, to figure out what was going on and what he was going to do next. Acting in haste would get people killed. Fortunately for him, no one was in a position to question him as he left the hangar, following half forgotten hallways to the stateroom he knew was his. It was empty save for the bunk, small desk, and built-in locker that would likely contain a spare uniform and a set of sleep clothes. A door led to the small 'fresher he was afforded as an officer. Utilitarian would have been a generous description; everything about the room screamed of the Imperial prejudice against individualism and creativity.

He grabbed the datapad from the desk, the Imperial logo spinning idly on the screen as he woke it up. He had never had a dream this detailed before, which left him with two options; some sort of an illusion meant to get information from him, or time travel. The former wasn't all that likely; he had kept himself out of galactic politics after the fall of the Empire, and even with the rising resistance against the First Order, Alex was a relative nobody. The latter should have been impossible, but Alex had witnessed many impossible things in his life, most of them associated with Ezra Bridger.

He finally pulled the holonet up on the 'pad, and sighed when he saw the date--just a few weeks from the fifteenth Empire Day. Impossible or not, he had found himself five years before the Battle of Yavin, the galactic marker that time had been measured against for the last twenty nine years by his reckoning. Three long strides brought him to the 'fresher and a mirror that reflected a young man with blond hair and thick muttonchops Alex had shaved off five years ago when they'd started coming in more gray than blond.

Right. So Alex was twenty six years old and an ISB officer, and Ezra Bridger was in his holding cells for what must have been the first time. The Ghost would be returning soon enough for the kid before heading to Kessel to free the Wookies. Karabast, but they'd all been so young and naive. Zeb had never entirely forgiven himself for leaving Ezra behind, even if it had worked out in their favor. They had all still been running from their pasts at this point, though.

For one moment, Alex contemplated running from his own past. He wasn't actually that short-sighted, dogmatic young man anymore; he was a sixty year old man, Zeb's hunt-brother, Sabine's older brother, honorary uncle to Jacen Syndulla, and member of General Organa's Resistance. But he had never been one to run away from a fight, especially one that he knew was noble. And he was in a position to help so many people.

He would miss his family, but he could help them, too, and with any luck still come home to them. All of them, Ezra and Kanan included. Decision made, he squared his shoulders and left his stateroom, heading towards the holding cells. The Jedi would need all the help that they could get. Last time, a Loth-rat with all the odds stacked against him had achieved the seemingly impossible in just a handful of years.

This time would be different. This time, Alex would do his best to stack the odds in Ezra's favor, in the Rebellion's favor. He could keep the Inquisitors off of Kanan and Ezra, for a little while, at least. He could set plans into place now, to undermine Thrawn later. He could warn Ahsoka about the truth of Darth Vader's identity. Maybe, with a little luck, he could even save Scarif and Alderaan. He would settle for Kanan and Ezra, though.

And while Luke Skywalker may have been the one to defeat the Sith, it was Ezra Bridger who had done something far more difficult. He had inspired Imperial agents, pirates, old soldiers, common citizens, and Rebels alike, binding them together with his brash charm and idealistic vision of a better world until they believed it too.

Not only did he free Lothal, but he gave the whole galaxy a new hope.

#star wars #star wars rebels #fanfic #alexsandr kallus #ezra bridger #time travel #a new hope #ezra is the new hope

[evabellasworld]

Alexsandr Kallus x OC

Ambush: Chapter 3

Masterlist: 1 │2 │3│4│5

Also on AO3

OC: Emma Tua

Chained by her handcuffs, Emma strutted along the streets on Christophsis, gleaming. Kallus, disguised in stormtrooper armour, saluted to the superior officers passing by him, with a blaster pointed at Emma's back. "Walk faster, you rebel scum," he poked her with his blaster. "We don't have all day."

She gave a mischievous grin as she fastened her pace, going along with Kallus's plan. "So what now, hotshot?" she muttered, underneath her breath. "You haven't explained your plan yet."

"I'll take you to the hangar bay and explained to them that I caught you," he explained, not missing out any details. "Then, when I give a nod to the commander, you knocked me out and dragged me to your ship, where we made our escape. Once we're in space, we jumped into hyperspace. Do I make myself clear, Emma?"

"Understood," she acknowledged, as she continued to walk on the streets.

"And also, don't hit me too hard," he added. "I don't want any bumps and bruises around my head."

"Don't worry, handsome," Emma purred, giving him a wink. "I'll be gentle with you."

Kallus looked down and away as he heard her giggling at him. Oh my, he thought. Is she trying to flirt with me? Somehow, I'm still convinced that I've met her before but where? Does she have any siblings working for the Empire? If so, which department did she worked in?

Emma glanced at his hazel eyes and couldn't find herself to contain her smile. Did I make him blush underneath that bucket head? It hides too much of his handsome face and his rugged hair. He looks so much better in a Rebel uniform than in an Imperial uniform. And his voice, oh my! It's so deep. I wonder how he looks like without his shirt and pants.

"Don't mind me asking a forbidden question, Emma," Kallus broke the awkward silence between them. "But how old are you?"

"I'm 31 years old," she answered. "And you're 11 years older than me, which makes you 42 years old."

He let out a sigh. "How much did Maira told me about you?"

"Oh, she tells us everything," she mused. "Even the part where you ate a worm you found at the schoolyard."

He covered his face with hands. "I was seven," he stammered, defending himself. "I thought they tasted like sweets."

She burst into laughter as tears of happiness poured on her cheeks. "The whole crew and I had a good laugh at that story."

Kallus tightened his lips underneath his helmet as he passed by a squad of stormtroopers, making him hit her harder with his blaster. "Hurry up, you scumbag," he barked. "Or I'll blasts you into bits."

Emma exclaimed as she gave a death glare at Kallus, before smirking. "If you wanted to be rough on me, just say so, sweetie."

He loaded his blaster, gesturing her to keep moving. She gave a slight nod as she dragged her feet on the crystalline road, looking at the skyscrapers towering above her. With the sun shining above them, she noticed the streets filled with Imperial troops and vehicles circling around it, marking its territory.  

Eva and Lira told me about this place before, she pondered. There was an intense battle here during the Clone Wars. The Republic scored its victory here until it was transformed into the Galactic Empire. Everything changed, with me and Maketh and Carter enlisting, before deciding to abandoned our post. Carter and I were lucky but Maketh, she didn't get a chance to restart her life.

"You're alright?" Kallus noticed a frown on her face. 

She took a deep breath and puts on a facade. "Worry about me, darling?" her lips curved into a smile. 

He scratched the back of his helmet as his cheeks turned pink underneath the helmet, with his palms feeling clammy. "Does anyone ever tell you to toned down that charm of yours?"

Emma chuckled as she covered her mouth. "You find me charming, eh?"

"No, of course not. It's just that..."

"Don't be shy, Alex," she hummed, biting her lower lips. "A woman loves it when her man is confident with his words."

Kallus felt tongue-tied as he continued to march, avoiding her seductive, honey eyes, which matched her dark, brunette hair and tanned skin. I must say, he took a glimpse of a small mole beside her heart-shaped lips. Out of all the women I've met in my life, Emma is quite beautiful. Maira, well, she's alright. Agent Kwon, she's not my type and Minister Tua, I find her too cold, although Emma resembles her the most and has the same surname. Are they related?

As they both reached Hangar Bay 6, Emma noticed her ship was anchored with two gravity locks underneath it. Using her fingers, she counted dozens of stormtroopers patrolling the hangar, searching through her ship. "Hey Alex," she nudged his elbow. "Is unlocking our ship part of your plan?"

He swallowed a huge lump of saliva as he noticed an ISB agent, with short, black hair and porcelain skin, briefing towards the commander. "I'm thinking of a new one right now," he stuttered, feeling his lips dry. "Just be patient."

"We don't have all day, my dear," Emma deadpanned. 

Finishing her talk with the commander, she approached the both of them, causing Alex to gripped on her arms. "Act natural," he whispered, as he straightened his posture. 

"LS-5011," the agent spoke, in a harsh voice. "You were supposed to report your position an hour ago. Where were you?"

"Agent Kwon," Kallus cleared his throat. "I've lost my comlink while chasing the rebels but I've managed to capture Emma Tua."

"And Alexsandr Kallus?" she glared icily. "What about him?"

"Unfortunately, he managed to get away from the city. My apologies, ma'am."

Agent Kwon rolled her eyes as she groaned in frustration. "I know Alexsandr Kallus when he was still my senior," she said. "He's a cunning and clever man."

Kallus held his breath as he felt his heart racing faster than usual. This is bad, he sweats. I didn't think ISB would get involved in this. I must find another way to escape without my former junior noticing.

"In that case, we just tighten our grip on this planet," she continued. "We must not let that traitor escaped right under our nose."

Agent Kwon stared at Emma, before shifting her focus towards the disguised stormtrooper. "Take her to the detention level," she ordered. "I'll be questioning her later."

Kallus bobbed his head, in a reluctant manner. "Yes, Agent Kwon."

#star wars #star wars oc #star wars rebels fanfic #agent kallus #agent kallus imagine #alexsandr kallus #alexsandr kallus imagine #hot kallus #star wars original character #emma tua #tua siblings #maketh tua #minister maketh tua #star wars fanfiction #kallus x oc

[bifinmediasres]

Zeb tries to impress Kallus with his many skills (because that's what Lasats do during courtship) but Kallus thinks it's some kind of a challenge and starts doing the same. Meanwhile, the crew wonders what the heck is going on.

I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to get to this Nonnie! I hope you like this!

"Ok so just unload the crates...over there," Hera trailed off in the middle of giving directions, too distracted watching Zeb carrying a crate on each shoulder as he walked down the Ghost's ramp.

Sabine followed after him engaging the lift mechanism on the crate in front of her muttering, "He's gonna give himself a hernia."

"What was that?" Zeb asked suddenly beside her.

"I said you're a show off," she grinned up at him, "Now help me with the rest of these crates."

Zeb nodded quickly before heading back into the Ghost. He returned quickly, again carrying a crate on each shoulder, only this time a third crate hovered in the air being bumped ahead of him as he walked. As he reached the bottom of the ramp he called out, "Hey Alex! Watch this!"

From across the yard, Alexsandr just managed to look up to see Zeb jumping on top of the crate and coasting for a few feet. "What do you think you're doing?" He cried.

Zeb only laughed as he hopped down off the crate depositing the others next to it in a stack. "Aw relax Kal!" Zeb grinned, "You sounded worried about me there for a second!"

"I think not!" Alexsandr shouted back, but the way he turned his back, quickly hiding the blush creeping over his face, gave him away. His mind raced furiously. If he didn't know any better he'd think this was typical Lasat flirting. But there was no way that was the case, he thought with a slight twinge of regret. He was fairly certain the feelings he had for Zeb were not reciprocated.

What then? Was this just some show of strength to prove he could, a testosterone fueled contest of sorts? Alexsandr could play that game if that's what Zeb wanted. He quickly put away the datapad he'd been working from and ducked into the Ghost when Zeb's back was turned. He returned with his bo-rifle strapped to his back.

As he'd hoped, Zeb was almost finished unloading the crates. When he was done Alexsandr called out, "Zeb! Face me!"

Zeb turned from where he'd been talking to Sabine looking at Alexsandr curiously, "What'id you just say?"

"I said face me!" Alexsandr repeated, "It's been a while since we sparred last. I'm curious if you're still in shape," Alexsandr challenged.

This caught Zeb off guard somewhat. Kriff, he knows, Zeb thought. He realized I'm trying to court him and this is his way of giving me an out. He shook himself to clear these thoughts and replied with more bravado than he felt, "Oh I'm in great shape, don't you worry! Might be worried about you though. How's the leg?"

Alexsandr nearly stuttered, "Never you mind! Are we sparring or aren't we?" All the while thinking, if he was challenging me why would he care how my leg felt? Unless he was sizing me up. Am I not worthy of your competition Garazeb? We shall see about that.

The two faced off in the ready stance. Zeb had swung his bo-rifle around and powered it on in the time Alexsandr was mentally arguing with himself. They circled around each other slowly a few times. Then suddenly Zeb charged and brought his bo-rifle up between them forcing Alexsandr back. He barely stayed on his feet, but once he regained his balance Alexsandr pushed back nearly causing Zeb to stumble.

The fight picked up quickly as blows began to be traded, first by Alex and then Zeb and then vice versa. A crowd gathered to watch, including Alexsandr and Zeb's bemused crew members. Ezra nudged Sabine asking, "What brought this on?"

Sabine just shook her head, "No idea. One minute he was watching Zeb crate surf- ah don't ask-," she added quickly, "The next he was calling Zeb out."

Ezra smirked, "So glad I'm above that macho stuff."

"You sure you mean above?" Sabine smirked shoving him playfully.

"Watch it you," Ezra laughed pushing her back before throwing an arm around her shoulder. They turned back to the fight as Zeb cried out as a blow found its mark in the middle of his back. Growling he sank to one knee, reaching his bo-rifle behind him. It looked like he was trying to steady himself, but at the last minute he brought the weapon up and aimed it at the back of Alexsandr's left leg.

The shock caused Alexsandr's leg to twist. His already weak right leg was forced to take his weight and his knee almost immediately buckled. As he began to fall backwards, Zeb twisted from where he still knelt and caught him before he could hit the ground. Zeb lowered Alexsandr to a sitting position before sitting next to him. There in the dirt they slumped against each other panting heavily.

Realizing the fight was over the crowd broke up, everyone returning to their duties. Sabine and Ezra however moved closer to the pair. "Well that was...something," Sabine commented.

Ezra laughed, "You guys were sure going at it. Looked like when male loth cats fight over a female." Alexsandr and Zeb both stiffened visibly at his words and he immediately backpedaled, "Wait I wasn't saying, I didn't mean you guys looked exactly like-," Alexsandr cut him off addressing Sabine, " 'Bine do you think you two could possibly," he tossed his head in emphasis.

"Yes!" She replied, "Definitely. Holler if you need anything. C'mon Ezra," she muttered grabbing the padawan by the collar and dragging him away.

Zeb and Alex sat in silence for a few more minutes. Finally Alexsandr couldn't take it anymore, "Zeb I," but he stopped at Zeb's shaking his head.

"Nah Lex," Zeb started, "You don't have to say it. I get it, he sighed, "You made your point perfectly clear."

Alexsandr turned to look at him then, "I did? Mind explaining exactly what I said so clearly?"

Zeb blinked back at him, a look of utter hurt flashing across his face, "You don't want to be with me."

Alexsandr pointed at himself, "I said that?" Zeb nodded. "When did I say that?"

"Our fight," Zeb explained, "You beat me as a way to tell me you don't want us to be together."

Alexsandr turned to face Zeb completely, wincing as both legs protested being moved. He took one of Zeb's hands in both of his speaking slowly, "Garazeb I am so sorry."

"Hey no," Zeb started, "Kal really, it's...it's ok."

Alexsandr shook his head, "No it's very much not alright. For one I hurt you. Which I'd never do intentionally in a hundred millenia." Zeb grinned at that, enjoying Alexandr's tendency towards hyperbole when he was stressed. "For another," Alexsandr looked Zeb square in the eye, "I appear to have completely misunderstood a very important Lasat custom, which as a supposed expert is frankly embarrassing."

Zeb huffed a laugh, "Not yer fault. I shoulda just come out with it. Been direct. Crate surfing don't exactly say marriage proposal."

It was Alexandr's turn to laugh, "No I don't suppose it- I'm sorry, marriage proposal?" Zeb didn't answer just nodding sheepishly. "So this fight? The crate surfing? The handful of other foolish things you've been doing lately? You weren't just showing off...you were courting me." Alexsandr pulled his knees into his chest curling his arms over his head.

"Uh? Alex?" Zeb asked, "Alex? You ok?"

A muffled groan and what Zeb thought was a shake of Alexsandr's head had him forcing Alex to look at him, "What's wrong now?"

Alexsandr was still trying not to meet Zeb's eyes as he mumbled, "I convinced myself I was wrong. That you were just showing off to show off. Didn't think it was possible for you to feel...," he trailed off.

"For me to feel...?" Zeb prompted.

Alexsandr did meet his eyes then, "I didn't think there was any way you could love me back."

Zeb's grin nearly split his face as he cupped Alexsandr's face in his hands gently, "That is quite a misunderstanding. But I guess that just means I'll have to make sure it gets completely straightened out."

Alexsandr gulped and his voice was barely above a whisper when he replied, "That's awfully good of you. It could take quite a while though, lot of work."

Zeb's grin just brightened, "For you? Worth it."

#asked and answered #asks are open #anon is on #kalluzeb #kalluzeb drabbles #kalluzeb headcanons #kalluzeb prompts #garazeb orrelios #alexsandr kallus

[ahsoka-its-all-of-us]

For the last day of the @bahrynfestival I wrote a little thingy for the Get A Room prompt, using an idea that I scripted to be part of my Kalluzeb series quite early in the process. Featuring two idiots finally confessing and still not confessing their love for each other 😅

“Hello there!”

Zeb unsubtly kicked open the door to Alexsandr’s little office, letting himself in as usual.

Alexsandr flinched. “You know better than to startle me.”

“At least you’re not pulling a knife on me anymore” Zeb smiled at him. “I call that progress.”

“I call that disturbance of an officer in function” Alexsandr muttered, but he felt no real annoyance towards his friend.

“Anyway” Zeb said, as the door whooshed closed behind him. “Anyone order a personal space-heating Lasat?”

Hoth was a cold planet, but at least most of the buildings on Echo Base were reasonably warm. Alexsandr’s office, though, he kept barely above a proper liveable temperature, unwilling as he was to waste any Rebellion resources on something as insignificant as himself. Zeb had told him otherwise countless times, but he hadn’t been able to sway him, so instead he had seemed to take it as his personal mission to hug Alexsandr warm whenever he dropped by to say hi. Alexsandr didn’t mind that, not at all.

“Not me” he snorted, playing along. “I guess you’ve got the wrong room.”

“Oh, apologies, I’ll go check that out” Zeb said, turning to leave again.

Panic flooded Alexsandr’s mind. “No, no, wait!”

Zeb turned back around. “Yes?” he smirked.

But Alexsandr fell silent, suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious as he realised that there was no way he could pretend that this thing between them was just a friendship anymore. As repressed as he was, he wasn’t stupid. He knew the way Zeb was acting towards him was on another level than with anyone else, even his family.

Zeb must have read his change in body language because his smirk fell ever so slightly, and in three long strides he had reached Alexsandr’s desk. “Aleks…?”

Alexsandr stood up, throwing his arms around Zeb’s neck without a word. Zeb immediately enveloped him with his own, and they stood like that for a long time, neither of them saying a word, just drinking in each other’s presence.

Eventually Zeb released him. “Warmer?”

“I have to say, on a base like this I’m glad to have my own space-heating Lasat” Alexsandr said, defaulting to his neutral, slightly sarcastic ISB voice in order to hide how his heart was hammering against his ribs as he tried not to jump right back into Zeb’s arms.

“No no, personal space-heating Lasat” Zeb chuckled. “As in I heat your personal space.”

“Oh” Alexsandr said, blushing as he quickly sat back down at his desk. Had he misread the situation? Did Zeb do this with everyone on base?

“… but I could be your personal personal space-heating Lasat” Zeb added. “If you want.”

Alexsandr’s heart stuttered to a halt in his chest. What had Zeb just said?

Were they still talking about Zeb’s function as a heater…?

Zeb looked at him expectantly, and he realised he had to say something.

“I…” he started, uncertain. “I would like that, yes.”

“Are you sure?” Zeb asked, a bright grin spreading over his face and lighting up his eyes. “You won’t easily get rid of me again.”

Alexsandr shrugged. “Not the most life-changing decision I’ve made” he muttered, attempting to deflect as he turned back to his work, even if his heart was vibrating inside him.

“True, Agent Kallus” Zeb emphasised. “Guess I’m yours then.”

He proceeded to lean down on top of Alexsandr’s head, lighting the latter’s cheeks on fire.

And Sabine chose that exact moment to come in.

Upon noticing the two of them, she rolled her eyes, smiling all the same. “Oh come on, get a room.”

“I believe we have” Alexsandr replied, not looking up from his work – he was certain he would only blush worse if he would meet her eyes. “And you’re the one who decided to enter.”

He could feel Zeb grinning on top of his head.

#jenny's sneaks #star wars #alexsandr kallus #garazeb orrelios #kalluzeb #star wars rebels #sabine wren

[ms-erin-kallus]

2000 Years of Chase Have Taken Its Toll

Chapter 4

AO3 link ~ https://archiveofourown.org/works/44541196/chapters/116624665

“Forgive my delayed absence,” Eind Frold said suddenly and cautiously from well behind the chaos that was Rhoan and Kallus.

 He looked at the two with an amused curiosity as they both quickly straightened, and he almost laughed at Kallus’ pronounced, awkward embarrassment of the situation in comparison to Rhoan’s easy dismissal of it.

 “It’s quite alright, ” she said with a charm that Kallus saw right through. “We just had a minor disagreement over the Admiral’s painting,” she laughed as she moved to stand closely at his side. “Some of us have a much better grasp of things than others,” she scowled right at Kallus before she turned and slid her arm through Eind’s. “I’ll bet you have a firm grasp though,” she said in a way that took both men by surprise.

 “I..uh...do,” Eind stuttered before he took a breath to regain his composure. “What I mean is we should probably begin our tour of my, what did you call it,” he smirked with a twinkle in his deep blue eyes, his confidence both regained and grown exponentially by Rhoan’s behavior and Kallus’ reaction to it. “Oh, yes, my <em>private</em> art collection, and with haste.”

 “I believe you are correct,” she replied with an over exaggerated core accent, both aimed at and received by its target. Rhoan smiled sweetly at Eind before she turned to Kallus. “Have a nice rest of your evening, agent.”

Kallus reached for a blaster that, luckily, he didn’t have as he watched the two of them turn and waltz through the crowd, arm in arm as they smiled and laughed and touched each other with the easy confidence and bravado that he had intended for himself. Everyone, even after much of the evening had passed, was still drawn to her. The banker was merely her accessory, just as Kallus had been.

 Kallus suddenly realized that he had, in fact, overplayed his hand with her to the point that she had put his leash on <em>him</em> instead and he seethed at the loss of it.

 For a brief second he considered leaving that instant. He didn’t care. Frold could have her. Any and everyone on that ship could have her.

 Alexsandr Kallus no longer wanted Rhoan Rial in <em>any</em> way.

 With a shake of his head those thoughts quickly disappeared and turned to what should have actually mattered for the evening; he needed to find Boom. A few laps around, in, and through the crowd yielded no result and Kallus quickly felt unease creep into his chest. He hoped the man had done his part well and was just holed up somewhere with the pretty girl that he had brought with him. The one that looked like the type that kept her mouth shut and legs open.

 <em>Lucky.</em>

 The alcohol had taken hold of the party around him and its attendees, activities, and conversations had become far livelier than before. Some escalated into full, heated debates, others into ridiculously over the top competitions, and one into an actual fight that was broken up after the two landed a few blows before it was mended with more alcohol. The mayhem was a perfect cover, no one would notice or remember much of anything in the morning.

 Kallus grabbed two glasses from the tray of one of the decrainiated slaves as they passed by and downed the first in one gulp. He didn’t want to remember anything either.

 The agent sighed hard and downed the second drink before he blindly tossed the glasses onto a table as he made his way out of the banquet room and into a long, narrow hallway that led to a service lift at its end. He had meticulously memorized the floor plan, duct system, and mechanical and electrical schematics of the unreasonably large yacht beforehand and knew exactly where the best places to quickly hide his listening devices would be.

 “You can have her, but you’re mine, asshole.”

 He dug into a specially made secret interior jacket pocket to pull the first one out as he placed a small earpiece into his left ear. A sudden sound of static was followed by low murmurs and his heart immediately fell into his stomach as the cabin began to rise.

 The devices were gone, and one of the voices in the earpiece belonged to Rhoan.

 <em>Recruited. She’s fucking recruited.</em>

 Kallus quickly pushed the emergency stop button of the lift and put his hand over his right ear to try to hear her better and hopefully pick up enough to figure out where she was. However, he could only make out small pieces of sentences and he assumed she had just tossed them into her pocket all together where they were bouncing off of each other. She obviously hadn’t realized that she would need to turn them off at their source.

 “…a long time..” Frold’s voice said lowly, followed by the sound of the mics rub together.

 “I’m not-,” he heard Rhoan say clearly before she disappeared again.

 He couldn’t make out what Frold said next, but his tone had suddenly changed and the hairs on the back of Kallus’ neck stood up reactively.

 “Eind, don’t-,” he heard Rhoan say as he repeatedly slammed the button for the private residence as if it would somehow make the lift move faster.

 <em>Stupid, you shouldn’t have let her go with a mark alone,</em> he scolded himself. He honestly hadn’t considered the man a threat and never would’ve assumed Rhoan a vengeful pickpocket. <em>If anyone finds those on her we’re both dead.</em>

 The lift moved quickly as Kallus reached up and shifted one of the tiles above his head before he fumbled around for the blaster that Boom had supposedly left there. Just as he brought his arms down, the doors opened up to a startled Eind and Rhoan that stood at the far corner of a large, darkened room. The only supply of light came from individual fixtures that sat above each of five paintings that hung a meter from the next along a wall that ended where his newest enemy instinctively stepped in front of the bane of his existence to protect her from him.

 “Alexsandr,” Rhoan asked cautiously, “what are you doing?”

 “You have got some <em>nerve</em>,” he said darkly as he lifted up his arm and pointed the small blaster directly at them. “After the night I’ve had, I have half a mind to end you both right here so I can just go home and forget you both already.”

 “Al-,” she began before Frold turned, grabbed her arm and quickly spun her in front of him with the caressing grace of a masquerading dancer. Once her back was to him, he pulled her tightly into his chest and faced her toward Kallus as he held her against him with an arm across her chest.

 “Stupid man,” he spat as he pulled out a small knife and put it to Rhoan’s throat. “What exactly was your plan here,” he asked as he pushed the tip into her neck hard enough that her head instinctively retreated and fell back onto his shoulder.

 She looked at Kallus as much as her head’s jerked position would allow and mouthed, <em>stay calm.</em>

 He did not.

 Instead, he brought his left hand up to the hilt of the weapon to hostilely insinuate to the two the seriousness of their precarious situation. Given their previous engagements, Frold should have known that he had absolutely no qualms about blowing his head off with absolute delight, “give me what I came for and I’ll kill you quickly,”

 “Thoughtful of you,” Eind responded snidely as he moved Rhoan further in front of him in defense of the threat. 

 Down the barrel of his blaster Kallus saw Rhoan sigh imperceptibly to the man that used her as his human shield and he knew it was in response to his lack of <em>calm.</em> She, for once, was in no position to tell him what to do, and since she wasn’t versed in hostage negotiation tactics, she wasn’t about to tell him <em>how</em> to do it either.

 “This area is heavily monitored. My men will be here any second,” Frold informed him confidently as he motioned toward the camera in a dark corner of the ceiling above Kallus’ head. “I have her and the advantage so, again, what exactly is your plan here?”

 “Well, <em>my</em> man sliced into your pathetic little security system before your first guest even arrived. No one is seeing or will see anything,” Kallus replied with a shake of his head. “Your security team has been watching a very elaborate loop all night.”

 “I see,” Frold replied cautiously as his eyes flittered around the room. He leaned his face against Rhoan’s as he stared ominously at Kallus, “do you believe him,” he asked as he pushed the knife still further into her neck.

 “Yes,” she said quietly.

 “Then, I believe we are at an impasse,” he sighed defeated. “Perhaps a deal? You put down the blaster and I give you,” he paused with sarcastic drama, “what is it now? Rhoan, right?” 

 Kallus looked him up and down, “I don’t have time for this, or you, or your spoonful of shit.”

 “Do you really think you are in a position for sarcasm?” Frold shouted angrily as the knife found her again, except it was more than the point that sat and waited threateningly, exactly where it shouldn’t.

 “This is between the two of us, not her,” Kallus exclaimed before he realized it and quickly blinked the surprise away.

 To cover Rhoan’s disappearance would’ve taken almost zero effort and, at that moment in time, zero hesitation. Kallus had framed Frold perfectly; the man could never let anyone on that ship know that he had been so easily compromised. It would end more than just his career.

 “Alexsandr,” Rhoan said slowly and with a not so subtle hint of suggestion. “Just do what he says.”

 “Says the bastion of obedience! New deal? Give me what I came for and the two of you can have each other without my blessing.”

 “What exactly did you come for if it’s not her,” Eind asked as he looked from Kallus to Rhoan in confusion. “You honestly don’t care that I could hurt her?” His tone had completely changed as he looked at Kallus in utter disbelief.

 Kallus raised the blaster a little higher. “Just give them to me,” he snapped at Rhoan.

 Frold stared at Kallus, in what looked to him like disgust, as he whispered something into Rhoan’s ear. Her eyes closed and her jaw clenched as she responded too quietly to hear. His grip on her loosened as he laid his forehead just above her ear.

 “Any day now!” Kallus yelled as the sound of a blaster ready tore through the suddenly quiet room.

 Her eyes still closed, Rhoan startled at the sudden sound and Eind immediately threw the knife across the floor before he put his newly freed hand up at his side in a show of compliance before he whispered something else to her.

 “I know.”

 Eind sighed and pulled a comlink from his pocket as Rhoan slowly, and freely, walked away from him.

 “Don’t shoot and I don’t call,” Frold offered as he bent down and put the device on the ground before he stood with his hands up. “Unlike you, I’m not a sociopath.”

 Kallus was too confused to know what to do with either of them as he looked back and forth between the two before his arm simply fell to his side. He watched Frold kick the comlink away from him as Rhoan stepped onto the lift and waited for Kallus to board.

 “May you see many sunrises, Ms. Rial,” Eind said as Kallus turned to look at her, still unsure of what exactly had just happened. 

 The pretty blue skirt that had floated around her like a billowing storm cloud began to slowly fall flat, as she walked toward him. Its sheen, long gone in a matter of mere moments and a few quiet words.

 “Get on.”

 For the first time he obliged without contestation.

 Through the closing doors, what appeared to be a look of <em>devastation</em> crossed Frold’s face before Kallus heard a single word of the command given to the security detail that would soon follow,

 <em>him.</em>

 “What was that?” Kallus asked as the cabin began to move downward.

 She reached into her pocket and held out the stolen devices in her palm, “a dichotomy.” She didn’t look at him as she stood motionless and stared at her tired reflection in the mirrored finish of the doors in front of them.

 “No, seriously,” he began as he took the bugs from her opened hand.

 “What do you care?” she snapped suddenly. “Mad that I chose <em>him</em> and ruined <em>your</em> night?”

 He glared down at her and emptied the contents of his hand into his pocket, “I don’t care, and, correct me if I’m wrong, but you willingly chose to leave here with <em>me.</em>”

 “Bold of you to assume,” she said as the doors opened and she stepped off and away from him without hesitation or caution.

“Wait,” he yelled as he instinctively grabbed her arm before she could traipse into an unknown and potentially deadly situation. 

Instead of the gratitude he expected for attempting to keep her safe, Rhoan simply glared at him for a long few seconds before she made a show of violently pulling her arm from his hand.

Kallus saw it in her eyes, it wasn’t fear or anger,

It was <em>hate.</em>

She never broke eye contact as she grabbed bunches of the skirt around her into her hands before she turned and stormed away from him, the pretty blue cloud that surrounded her all night suddenly roiled in fury.

It was almost as if she were oblivious to them as she easily walked straight toward two armed guards. 

“Rho-” Kallus started before a rain of blaster bolts came toward him. The last thing he saw was the two men side step Rhoan as she passed them before they moved into a formation meant to protect her. 

From Kallus.

Suddenly he realized what Frold meant by <em>him.</em>

The shots suddenly stopped and Kallus could hear the two men yell as the doors to the lift began to close, Kallus had smashed the ‘door close’ button just before he pushed the crooked tile above him over just enough that he could grab the side and hoist himself up. 

As he expected, the lift jarred to a halt just as it began to move downward to fall back into place. He quickly replaced the tile just enough that he could see outside of the door where his assailants waited not so patiently.

“Where’d he go,” one of them said as the cabin opened empty.

The second came into view and before they could realize what was about to happen Kallus pulled the trigger twice and both men dropped to the ground hard. 

“Are you here yet?” Kallus barked into his com just as he saw his ship dock to his far left.

“I’ve just landed,” the droid replied.

“Be prepared for a quick takeoff,” he told it as he dropped back to the ground. 

“Yes, sir. What about the woman?” they asked quickly.

“What about her?”

“Well, she is currently being held at gunpoint, I wasn’t sure if I should interject?” it asked.

Kallus came to a complete stop, “what do you mean? Where is she?”

“Right behind me. Should I-”

“No,” he snapped as he jogged around the corner of another smaller ship and came to an unexplainable standstill.

 The man looked like a typical soldier. His physique was too much for his skill to effectively handle and he carried a weapon that was so overstated it was almost as laughable as the predictable military style buzz cut of his white hair. He was a walking stereotype.

 <em>Something isn’t right.</em>

 Luckily the guard hadn’t noticed him, he was so fixated on where he had aimed the barrel of his blaster that Kallus managed to come up from behind him, just out of his periphery, but still at least twenty meters away. He took a few cautious steps to put himself directly behind him and that’s when he saw it.

 Rhoan stood a few feet in front of them, stone still with her hands held down stiffly at her sides. She lowered her chin slightly, “you don’t want to do this,” she said softly as she shook her head. “I know-“

 “No, I think I do.” the guard snapped as he took a step toward her. “Fuck their orders. That head of yours will fetch me a pretty credit or two.”

 Kallus’ heart stopped. <em>You should never have let her out of your sight,</em> he thought as he realized not everyone on a payroll would be as trustworthy as expected, especially when a better deal could easily be made.

 She immediately took a step back and put a hand between the two of them defensively, “please, stop.” Her voice was quiet and waivered heavily as she pleaded with the man a final time, “don’t”.

 “There’s nowhere to run.”

Rhoan’s demeanor changed instantly. The color drained from her already paled face and she swayed to her side before she had to take a small step to steady herself. It was almost as if someone opened a hatch that violently ripped the life out of her and spit it out to die mercilessly in the cold void of space.

 It physically hurt Kallus to watch.

 She dropped her arm and stood motionless, almost as if she had gone into shock or retreated deep into some dissociative safe place. The tall stone walls built by years of pain and trauma, the ones that kept her so well protected, had fallen into myriad simple bricks that lay scattered upon the floor. It left her true self exposed, and he saw something that he didn’t think he would ever see from her, and he really didn’t like it.

 Vulnerability.

 Without warning, a blaster dropped from the hand that she held hidden in the folds of her skirt and landed on the floor with seismic force. Both men quickly looked at it with polar ideations as she remained transfixed by the nothing that he knew was actually everything.

 There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that time suddenly and completely stopped because he <em>felt</em> it do so as a pair of green eyes framed by a messy tangle of dark hair looked over from the threat before her to him in surprised confusion. The ‘guard’ had all but disappeared from existence as Kallus stared at her for what felt like hours as a blitzkrieg of thoughts, feelings, and emotions that he couldn’t begin to explain fought through him all at once.

 He had to tear himself away from her before his eyes and head motioned toward the man in front of her as a secret message between the two of them. 

 <em>Keep him distracted.</em>

 Instead she gave him a contorted look that held the same bewilderment he was feeling as her eyes scanned through him suspiciously. Everything around him stayed in its motionless standstill as he watched her study him deeply and so intensely he swore she was being etched into him.

 But, reality abruptly snapped them from their curious trance.

 “No!” Kallus screamed just as the man that had finally noticed her diverted attention raised his arm and pulled the trigger.

 The man jumped at the sound and Rhoan jerked her head to the side and out of the shot’s way.

 Kallus didn’t even realize that he was rushing toward them until blaster bolts spread out into a widely spun, chaotic mess that narrowly missed their target as he was forced to duck and roll behind a large crate at his side for cover from it. He leaned his back against it and pulled his long legs in closer to his chest as malicious red flashes began to disintegrate the crate into small splintered pieces. 

<em>Don’t panic,</em> he told himself as he began to panic. 

It was unclear to him whether the guard was coming up on him or moving away and toward what he assumed was a still paralyzed Rhoan, but he did know that he was running out of both time and shelter. 

 As quickly as the docking bay erupted into chaos, it suddenly went eerily quiet; so quiet that he could hear the pounding of his heart beat in his ears.

 It took a few seconds for things to register before Kallus peered around what was left of his cover to see Rhoan stare down blankly at the body on the ground in front of her.

 “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she repeated quietly as he hurriedly scrambled to her side. “Sorry.”

 He took the weapon that hung limply by her side, her soft, warm skin heavily contrasted against its cold metal. “We have to go now,” he said gently as she continued to look down at the man and the pool of scarlet blood under him that had begun to slowly creep toward her tattered blue hemline.

 “It’s okay,” she whispered as if he were someone worth her consolation given that he had just tried to murder her incredulously. “It’s almost over.”

 Kallus looked from the body on the floor to the confused woman at his side, “they’re coming, and if they catch us they will kill us.” He looked over his shoulder as he heard the lift begin to cycle before he tenderly put two fingers below her jawline and moved her face to look at him instead of the dead man at her feet, “I don’t want that to happen.” 

 Her left eye narrowed at him before she smirked, “you’re really bad at this, you know?”

 Kallus sighed and gently grabbed her arms to turn her toward the ship but stopped short when she reached up and gently brushed a stray strand of hair behind his ear. “Blonde?” she whispered almost judgmentally. She wasn’t asking <em>him</em>, he quickly realized that, but wherever she had hidden herself had its grip on her with no intention of letting her free. 

 “It’s time to go,” he sighed as he forced himself to accept that she was entrenched deep in a reality of her own creation, and that he didn’t belong there.

 “No, not yet.” Her voice carried ethereally on the air like a feather.

 <em>That’s enough of this,</em> he thought as he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and the other scooped her up into his arms from under her knees in one fluid motion as he turned and sprinted toward the ship that hovered just above the ground as it waited to make their quick escape. 

 She once tried to turn and look at the man on the ground, but he stopped her before she could, he didn’t want the image burned into her memory. Their night would be more than enough for her to look back on with regret filled abhorrence.

 “Get us out of here now!” he yelled as he watched the boarding door close just in time to block a rain of blaster bolts from the group of guards they had barely outrun. A few seconds later, the ship jerked with a familiar push that let him know that they were safely flying as fast as they could away from the chaos that was left behind.

 Kallus hadn’t realized just how tightly he had her pulled into his chest or that at some point she had put her arms around his neck and buried her face into the crook of his neck. The very last thing he wanted to do was pull her warmth away. 

 But he did.

 Her hands slid slowly from behind him and he swore it felt as if she didn’t want to let go either as he sat her down on one of the ship’s gaudy couches and pulled an equally ridiculous looking blanket from its arm. His core burned hot as she looked straight into him and he averted his eyes down to her hands that subconsciously wrung themselves hard enough that the skin was beginning to turn red. 

 As he began to wrap her shoulders, he felt her fingers brush through the hair just above his ear again in a deep and quiet reflection afforded only by the safety of her forced mental isolation. Kallus had to force his lungs to breathe as he sat motionless and let her touch him again before he let himself fall into a comfort that he hadn’t felt since he was a child.

 Her eyes danced while the scent of her hair played delicately at his nose and as he sat in the presence of what he was beginning to realize was the real her, he had to fight every urge in him to not reciprocate. The sensation of her soft touch against his excited skin tested the staunchest of his convictions as it toyed mercilessly with his sanity. The world around them slowly dulled into a complete silence as he sat transfixed by eyes full of the strongest of sincere emotion.

 A small smile played at the corner of her mouth as her fingers grazed the skin behind his ear before they came to rest on his neck just below his chin. Her thumb gently ran back and forth along his jawline with a type of openness that he willingly let shatter his own walls without hesitation or regret.

 He let his hand come up and wrap itself around her small wrist before he realized that it had and he sighed before he closed his eyes and turned his face to fit into her warm palm before he heard someone scream at him,

 <em>you’re taking advantage of her.</em>

 Kallus’ eyes shot open and he forced himself to pull her hand away before he set it on her knee. “Rhoan,” he started before he felt her tense and pull away.

 <em>Careful.</em>

  “Where are we going?” she asked despondently, closer to the woman he knew but not enough so to comfort his anxiety.

 An eyebrow raised at her question, “we’re going home,” he said heedfully as he reached over and gently stopped her hands, again without realizing that he had.

 She instantly jerked back and put her arms around her shoulders before she looked back at the floor and shook her head, “no, can’t go back.”

 The evening had taken a hard right turn but not so much so that it would warrant running for their lives. He had made sure that it would be a deadly mistake on Frond’s part if the man even <em>thought</em> to come after him.

 “We’re going back to where we came from, back to Lothal,” he told her cautiously as he watched her reaction to his statement. Trauma response had never been his strongest skill set but he was about to make it so.

 “Lothal?” she asked with intensified confusion as she continued to look down.

 “Yes, Lothal,” he repeated as he leaned to make eye contact with her. It felt as if she was looking at him but couldn’t see him.

 “Not right.”

 “What do you mean?” he asked carefully.

 “I thought you said-,” she shook her head again. “No, not right.”

 “Rhoan.”

 She immediately retreated further back into her protective seclusion.

 “Where did-“ he started before she put a hand out between them.

 Her eyes suddenly narrowed before her arm unexpectedly turned curiously in front of her. She stared at it in what looked like disbelief as her fingers inquisitively drew lightly along the intricate embroidery sewn into the material of her sleeve. She slowly turned her other forearm back and forth in her confused examination, “not right.” 

As if an unwanted and erroneous realization barged into the forefront of her mind, her eyes grew wide and she suddenly and violently grabbed at the fabric and pulled hard.

 “Get it off of me,” she cried horsley.

 “Wha-“

 “Get it off of me,” she whispered, suddenly and to only herself, before she began to claw at her arm again.

 “Stop,” he exclaimed as he reached for her. “You’ll hur-“

 “It’s everywhere,” her voice cracked as she ignored his plea and looked down in what appeared to be horror. Her hands shook hard in his as they fought back against him.

 Wildly disoriented eyes looked back up at Kallus before she whispered again, “get him off of me.” A look of <em>anguish</em> read across her face, an emotion that was so severely heart wrenching he felt his eyes sting. 

 “Alright, let me see it?” he asked slowly as he watched her face for <em>any</em> signs of hesitation. To his surprise, she did not. 

The sound of thousands of tiny beads hitting the floor at once quickly filled the silent room as he carefully took her arm and gently tore the fabric at the seam of the shoulder 

 <em>You finally got me where you want me.</em>

 “Get it off,” she repeated quietly as she rocked herself back and forth; her eyes darted around the room erratically, looking for something that wasn’t there.

 He set her hand down in her lap as he easily pulled the other sleeve from her arm, “it will be alright.”

 She broke.

 “No, it’s not,” she barely managed to say as her bottom lip quivered so hard that the skin turned white as she bit down on it. “It’s not,” she said again as she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.

 His little <em>game,</em> was toxic for the other player, he knew that, but looking down at the ramifications of his actions personified made his stomach turn. Granted, it was a first, but he had still violated her in the same way as the others, revoltingly and unconscientious.

 <em>Unforgiveable.</em>

 He wouldn’t do it to her again.

 He wouldn’t let anyone else do anything else to her again.

 “Droid! Take her back to the room she was in before,” he commanded quietly. Its familiarity would hopefully help to calm her once inside and alone, even though <em>alone</em> was the last way he wanted to leave her.

 He stood and faced away from her as his own past trauma began to claw its way out of the dark recesses of his mind, the place where it lurked as it waited for any chance to pull him in with it. 

The droid quietly convinced her to follow them, and much to his surprise, she didn’t argue with it; however, a few steps in, he felt her stop.

 “What is it?” he heard them ask her.

 “They’re golden,” she whispered.

 “What is?” the droid asked her again with quiet caution.

 “The stars,” she answered almost whimsically.

 Kallus closed his eyes and sighed, <em>you did this.</em>

 “Yes, they do appear that way, don’t they,” the droid coaxed her gently before Kallus heard the click of her heels take her down the hallway, each and every one sounded like an explosion in his ears.

 The sentience of the machines was always a contentious battle between almost everyone in the galaxy. He himself had always leaned toward the notion that anything capable of showing basic emotions like fear or excitement had to have at least <em>some</em> sort of self awareness. In that moment, as he listened to the droid speak to her with such careful attentiveness, Kallus found the answer.

 He sighed hard and let his head fall back heavily as he slowly messaged his neck that he rolled back and forth. His shoulders dropped and he turned slowly to make sure she was securely tucked away from him when he saw it.

 The hundreds of small beads freed from the embroidery of her broken dress lay like shimmering constellations left strewn about the dark wood at his feet. 

 <em>This one is on you.</em>

#alexsandr kallus #agent kallus #kallus #hot kallus #rebel kallus #star wars rebels #star wars #she hates his guuuuts

[anathtsurugi]

Day 15 - One More Day ;)

So, my dear @jellysharkbat, I’d at first thought to present you with a scene from the new chapter of TCTW, but the scene I had in mind was a little too dialogue heavy, even if it was in the same vein. So you’ll get more of that when the chapter comes out. But hopefully this is enough in line with what you were feeling.

Snow, as far as Alexsandr Kallus was concerned, could go get kriffed.

Granted, it was in the middle of a snow storm he'd first begun to see the love of his life and he would be eternally grateful for that, but it was likely the only thing he ever would grant to snow. Anything other than that one instance was evil incarnate. And that was saying something coming from a man who'd once worked at the very heart of the Galactic Empire.

The day had begun like any other at Echo Base. The techs still couldn't seem to adapt their speeders to Hoth's extreme cold, so patrols were still being carried out on tauntauns. Really, a lot of their tech was having trouble on this world. Even his own double-layer thermal gear was barely managing to keep out the cold. The persistent subzero temperatures had been creeping in on him all week and the conditions had been making his bad leg crankier than usual which, in turn, made him even crankier than his typical  uptight self, and he knew it showed.

Say what you will about Yavin IV. At least heat is manageable.

Draven had been on his case about the new supply line he'd been endeavoring to open up from an old Imperial contact who was just about fed up with Coruscant's precious New Order. It was a delicate process, though, so he was rather starting to wish the general would just take his less than subtle grumbling elsewhere. More than petty matters with Davitz Draven, there was also the fact that Cassian hadn't yet reported in from his latest assignment and Jyn and Bodhi were visibly beginning to worry, asking him if he'd heard anything. And he could understand their worry. Of course he could, but having to let down Cassian's odd little family every time one of them asked after the young Fulcrum agent was also beginning to wear on him. Today it seemed it was Bodhi's turn to receive the bad news as they passed through one of the supply corridors that connected the hangar bays with the storage areas.

"And there's really no emergency channels you might use?" the pilot pressed him as they walked.

"Believe me, Rook, I've tried all of them. At this point, it's up to Cassian himself," he responded with an exasperated sigh. "I promise you, I worry just as much as the rest of you. Cassian is my friend, too. But he wouldn't be a Fulcrum agent if he couldn't handle situations like this one. We just- have to trust him."

And as always, whenever he had to disappoint Bodhi Rook, Kallus felt as though he'd kicked the proverbial puppy at the silently despairing look in his fellow defector's large brown eyes. One just couldn't disappoint Bodhi Rook and walk away unscathed. It wasn't physically possible. And on top of that, his leg was really starting to twinge, causing him to bite down on a wince.

The day was barely half over and already he would've been quite happy to have done with it.

What else can go wrong?

He regretted thinking it almost the minute the poisonous thought had slithered through his brain. No situation is ever so bad it can't be kriffed up even further; and that fact was proven almost immediately by an ominous-sounding crack from overhead.

"What the-" Bodhi's voice started as they both looked overhead, but Kallus spotted the problem right away. A crack had indeed appeared in the ceiling over their heads, and already it was splintering and spidering outward from its initial break.

Kallus didn't stop to ask questions. The moment chunks of ice began to tumble into the corridor, he seized Bodhi's shoulder and threw them both free of the collapse.

The ex-Imperial felt his leg shriek in agony as they hit the permafrost floor of the tunnel, chips of broken ice flying overhead as a full section of the ceiling came down. Once debris had ceased spilling into the corridor, he began to hear voices from the next level up.

"Stars, what the kriff-"

"What happened?"

"What's-"

"Is everyone all right down there?"

Forcing himself up onto his knees through the pain, Kallus looked up, calling back. "We're fine! Just the two of us down below. Anyone above injured?"

"No," came the mostly even voice of General Rieekan in response. Oh, kriff. The command center.

"Though it might not be long before you're not all right," the just as distinct voice of Draven followed only a moment after. Within seconds, the head of Rebel Intelligence's pinched face appeared over the  edge of the hole in the ceiling. "Why is it I always seem to find an ex-Imperial around whenever something goes wrong?"

Kallus full-on glowered up at the man overhead. Partly to hide his own grimace of pain, but also because he really was just that pissed at this point.

"Yes, because obviously we plan for these things to happen," he snapped.

"I would be remiss in putting it past you. Fully trained ISB operative that your are, Agent ISB-021," the man taunted in a pointed voice.

That did it.

The frustration and physical pain that had been chipping away at his composure all week broke through his strict mental control. If he'd had his bo-rifle on him, he might've actually drawn it.

"Kriffing arrogant nerfherder!" he snarled up at the general. "If you think for one second I would ever endanger anyone in this base, then you've-"

"Kallus," Rieekan's now stern voice interrupted his imminent tirade as he joined Draven at the edge of the collapsed section. "I think it might be better if you took a walk. I know you said you weren't hurt, but you and Rook should probably take extra rest shifts, just to be certain."

"General, I-"

Whatever he might've said was quickly silenced by the Alderaanian's firm gaze. He scowled before going to help Bodhi up. Though he couldn't deny being the tiniest bit pleased to catch the tail end of Rieekan's next order.

"You and I will be having words later, Davitz. You can't keep going on like this."

"Th- thank you," Bodhi stuttered out. "You definitely saved my neck back there."

"No trouble," Kallus returned, though he didn't look at the younger man, as he knew he couldn't manage a smile just then. "I'm quite certain it would be more than just Draven angry with me if I allowed harm to come to you. About half the Alliance, likely...not to mention Cassian and Skywalker," he said before starting to head in the direction of his quarters, leaning heavily against the wall as he moved.

"Do you maybe need help?" Bodhi called after him.

"No," he ground out, even though he knew he was limping. He was on trajectory now and couldn't stop. If he did, his anger would dissipate and that, in turn, would allow the pain he was currently keeping at bay to overwhelm him. He kept his eyes forward and his teeth gritted the whole way back to his and Zeb's quarters.

He barely managed to make it to the bed before collapsing, body now racked with pain and mind swirling with frustration, anger, and more than a little guilt.

Agent ISB-021...

Most of the Alliance no longer held his past against him, but Draven was one who couldn't seem to let it go. He never missed an opportunity to remind Kallus of who he had been...of what he had done...

You are not that person anymore.

Maybe not...but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

He had no idea how long he lay there, stewing in all that ugliness, before he heard the door to their quarters slide open. He looked over to see Zeb standing in the entryway.

"Rook told me what happened," he said without preamble as he entered, the door sliding shut behind him. "You okay?"

"As can be expected," he answered, though he couldn't quite keep back the tiny whimper of pain as he dragged himself into a sitting position. "Just the leg."

"You take anything?"

Kallus shook his head, rubbing faintly at his leg. "No. I wouldn't want to waste it. This will pass."

Zeb exhaled in frustration, and though Kallus wasn't looking at him, he could easily picture the way he would roll his luminous eyes. Before long, though, he found a slender thermal container thrust before his face.

"What...what's this?" he asked as he took the container.

"Little something Hera and I put together this morning from the Ghost's stores. Some of that spiced tea you loved so much. I was makin' it for you anyway, since the cold's been seepin' in on you all week, but now seemed like a good time to bring it to you."

Wordlessly, Kallus twisted the vessel open, inhaling the divine scent of the black tea in mild disbelief. It was no small thing...to be able to make something like this with the limited supplies they had. He may have moaned a little as he took the first sip of the warm, frothy drink.

They didn't speak after that. After all, Kallus was reasonably certain Zeb would've got the whole story from Bodhi. The Lasat sat down beside him on the small bed, large, skilled fingers beginning to work at the improperly healed joint, soothing away some of the ever-present stiffness and pain and bringing the hurts from the day's misadventures down from an insistent snarl to a dull ache. More than the massage, it was really just nice to have Zeb's sure, strong hands on him.

Not wanting to drink all of the tea right away, he sealed the thermal up when it was about half-empty and set it aside. Then Zeb drew him into a kiss, a slow, luxuriating press of lips that didn't presage anything further, simply connected the pair of them in that moment.

I'm here. I'm here for you. People can be as stupid as they like, but they can't take this away from us. I'll always be right here.

The kiss turned into a cuddle without much effort on their part. Almost before Kallus was aware of it, they were curled up together on their little bed, Zeb cradling him easily against the broad plane of his chest. Alex curled up tightly against him, languishing in the feel of his lover's arms around him, warm and strong, safe and caring. So much he had never expected to have in his life – never expected to be worthy of – all vested within one amazing person.

They would have to return to their tasks eventually. There was always more work to be done. But for now, just for now, they would accept the quiet gift of simply being with one another. When it came right down to it, that gift was all they really had in the face of a vicious galaxy.

But it was also all they needed.

#Kalluzeb #star wars rebels #fan fiction #Have some cuddles #And some Rogue One #Because in this household we do not kill Rogue One